High Density Liquid Crystalline DNA

Having a texture similar to that illustrated in specimen No. 19, this specimen was photographed near the edge of a coverslip. Note the spots on the fans, which are caused by gas pockets within the specimen and striations that occur when high concentrations are attained. The DNA concentration for this specimen is approximately 475 milligrams per millimeter, and the magnification is approximately 350x. The digital image presented above was originally recorded on Fujichrome 64T transparency film using a Nikon Optiphot-Pol microscope with crossed polarized illumination. Exposures were recorded about 2.5 f-steps under the recommended value given by an in-camera photomultiplier and were push-processed approximately 1.5 f-steps in the first E-6 developer.